Growing

Prologue

It was harder than it looked; pretending in front of everyone. They were supposed to hate each other; it was expected of them. But after fourth year, it all changed. They weren't sure how or why, but it did. They began meeting in secret; neither of them told anyone else about it. Absolutely no one knew about them.

It was awkward at first; neither of them knowing what to say or do. But before long, they were sharing their lives with each other. They found refuge in the bond they shared. No longer were they just two faces in the crowd. They weren't the people everyone thought them to be. They were much more than that; they had depth and feelings that they never shared with anyone but each other.

They became best friends; though it never appeared like they were anywhere near as close as they were. They didn't want to hear everyone's doubts and insults about their friendship. They were closer with each other than anyone else; which was a hard thing to believe. They had each other; they understood each others' doubts about themselves.

When nobody else listened, they were able to share the best and worst parts of their lives. She was able to tell him of how she was always feeling frazzled and unnerved; something nobody else would believe, since she was outwardly so together. He shared his relationship with his father; from the painful beatings to the high expectations of his loyalty. How he and his father were once close but it had morphed into something filled with cruel and agonizing horror. Being able to tell each other these things, had made them closer beyond words. It was as if they were the same person; and yet so entirely different.

It leaked out; maybe someone had seen them when they thought they were being inconspicuous or noticed that their insults weren't nearly as mean as they should be. Whoever it was that found out about them, told Skeeter and she gladly put it in her magazine. Along side the dark wizards, and the news of Voldemort planning an attack, a whole article was designated about how they had been secret friends for years. How they were hiding it from everyone, including their best friends.

Some of you may be thinking that that's just an unfortunate event. How important could they be that it would cause such a ruckus? Why were they any different from any other witch or wizard? Well these two had a past; a volatile past. These two were not supposed to be best friends, nor friends at all. They were supposed to hate each other with a fire so hot it would scald you just from thinking of it. These two were supposed to despise each other to the bitter core. Because the case was no longer so, it certainly caused a lot of media coverage. Not to mention the anger and questions of the people close to them.

Now they had to face it all; the ridicule, the hatred, the gossip. But they would make it; they would hold their heads high, proudly. They would walk down the halls of Hogwarts, side by side like true friends. They would glare and scowl and stare right back at the unbelieving wizards.

They were Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy; they would show no show shame for their actions. They were friends, and nothing would end that. Except one thing; something not even they expected. A feeling that neither of them knew they could possess; but with each touch, and each glance, it grew between them. It blossomed from friendship into something more, something forbidden. It was time for them to realize that their secret frienship was ending and something much deeper was growing between them.

If the wizards and witches of Hogwarts were astonished at hearing of their friendship, how would they react to them falling in love?

A/N There's more to come, however I won't be working on this often, at least notuntil I've finished "Blood Is Thicker Than Tears." Whenever I go off subject, I find I just can't keep up with my first task.